Grace+Wolf


 * SUMMARY: Grace Wolf died on December 3, 1917 in Dubuque, Iowa after an abortion perpetrated by Dr. C. Allen Snyder. **

 Grace Wolf, a young married woman, traveled from her home in Lansing, Iowa to the office of Dr. C. Allen Snyder (pictured) in Dubuque on November 19, 1917. She arrived at about 8:00 in the evening. Shortly after leaving, she took ill. By November 29 she was in the hospital, and her condition deteriorated until her death on December 3.

The defense argued that Grace was unhappy about her pregnancy and had made several attempts to abort before going to Dr. Snyder. Dr. Snyder said that she was already suffering from fever and septicemia when she arrived at his office, and that he treated her only briefly.

Grace had made a dying declaration, written up by an attorney and signed by her, indicating that Dr. Snyder had performed an abortion on her. However, her father was called as a defense witness, and he said that Grace recanted her statement before her death. Other witnesses said that Grace had a cough for several days before her visit to Dr. Snyder.

The autopsy had found evidence of recent pregnancy and a puncture in Grace's uterus.

Dr. Snyder was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years at hard labor. His conviction was overturned on appeal.

He was also charged with murder in the 1918 abortion death of Mrs. Frank Gagne of East Dubuque, Illinois.

Note, please, that with overall public health issues such as doctors not using proper aseptic techniques, lack of access to blood transfusions and antibiotics, and overall poor health to begin with, there was likely little difference between the performance of a legal abortion and illegal practice, and the aftercare for either type of abortion was probably equally unlikely to do the woman much, if any, good. For more information about early 20th Century abortion mortality, see [|Abortion Deaths 1910-1919].

For more on pre-legalization abortion, see [|The Bad Old Days of Abortion]

 Sources:
 * State v. Snyder, 188 Iowa 1150, 177 N.W. 77, 10 A.L.R. 309
 * "Doctor is Charged With Serious Crime," //Ireton Ledger//, Dec.r 6, 1917
 * "Dubuque Physician Refused New Trial," //Lake Park New//s, Oct. 17, 1918
 * "Hawkeye State News," //Maurice Times//, Oct. 17, 1918
 * "Dubuque Physician is Placed on Trial," //Sioux County Index//, Apr. 5, 1918
 * "Doctor Found Guilty of Illegal Activity," //Wichita Beacon//, Apr.l 4, 1918









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